A rather low-key series of paranormal stories presented as docudramas, One Step Beyond aired at 10 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC from January 20, 1959 to July 4, 1961. The show's original title was Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond; the sponsor's name was dropped from the title when the show was syndicated. Few people refer to, or even remember, the program's original title.
One Step Beyond was created by Merwin Gerard, who also served as an associated producer for f the show's episodes. "The Blood flower" was written by Lawrence B. (Larry) Marcus, one of 87 episodes in the series he helped develop. Marcus had a long career as writer for both television and films, and was nominated for an Academy award for the 1980 film The Stuntman
John Newland, who directed all 97 episodes of One Step Beyond, also served as the show's host and narrator. Newland's quiet, understated, almost profess0rial manner helped lend credence to the canard that each episode was based on historical fact -- the viewers who bought into that one were probably the same ones who bought that bridge from my Uncle Louie. Newland was touted as "your guide to the supernatural" and "our guide into the world of the unknown." Newland later hosted a short-live sequel series, The Next Step Beyond (1978-1979).
One Step Beyond was produced by collier young, perhaps best known for creating the Raymond Burr series Ironside. Supposedly, young had married five times, although only fore spouses -- including Ida Lupino and Joan Fontaine -- are listed in his biographies. The suspense novel The Todd Dossier, credited to Young, was ghost-written by Robert Bloch.
A number of well-known (and future well-known0 actors appeared in various episodes of the series, including Warren Beatty, Whit Bissell, Robert Blake, Charles Bronson, Veronica Cartwright, Mike Connors, Louise Fletcher, Joan Fontaine, Skip Homeier, Ronald Howard, Werner Klemperer, Robert Lansing, Chloris Leachman, Christopher Lee, Robert Loggia, Jack Lord,, Patrick Macnee, Ross Martin, Patty McCormack, Yvette Mimieux, Elizabeth Montgomery. Patrick O'Neal, Donald Pleasance, Susanne Plechette, Pernell Roberts, Albert Salmi, William Schallert, William Shatner, and Olan Soule.
Alas, no one quite as well-known appeared in "The Blood Flower," which featured Larry Gates, Eugene Inglesias, Penny Santon, Raoul De Leon, Marya Stevens, Renata Vanni, Robert Tefur, David Garcia, and Dick Crockett.
"The Blood Flower" tells the story of Professor Gavin Carroll (Gates), a political theorist who remains neutral toward radical involvement. That is, until he sniffs a rare Latin American flower which had become stained with the blood of a famous revolutionary. The parasitic flower turns a pacifist academic into an assassin. when you take one step beyond, even botany can become dangerous.
Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZBNxUjhRpk
Indeed...the True Story aspect of OSB tended to spoil it for me, but I took what joy I could from the occasional repeats that would show up on usually the lower-budget stations in a give market.
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